Boys Just Want to Have Fun

There is just something about playing in the dirt that attract men and boys like a moth to a flame! After finishing up the field work, a few local Morrisonville farmers had a bit of John Deere plowing fun. The blue sky and mild temperatures made for a nice day to turn the soil.

Plow history

Everything changed for farmers with the invention of the steel self-scouring moldboard plow. John Deere invented the plow from a broken bandsaw blade used in a mill in 1837. You can see where this happened at Grand Detour in northern Illinois. In fact, at the John Deere historic site they celebrated fifty years of being a historic site with a replica of the John Deere self-scouring plow twice the size of the original.

Other places that celebrate plow history is the James Oliver Mansion, in South Bend, Indiana. James Oliver invented the chilled plow. Indiana history shares, “In 1857, Oliver received a patent to make “chilled” plows. The plows were cast in a mold which allowed the metal to be cooled rapidly, resulting in a hard surface that kept a sharp edge. The plows were also extremely smooth, alleviating the problem of sticking soil.”

Even President Truman in his farming days plowed the soil! You can see his plow at the Agricultural Hall of Fame! I profile this fun place in my upcoming eBook, Agricultural Treasure Guidebook!

Plowing Day

Yesterday, my husband Keith and I went to watch some plowing fun. Evan Bell had his New Generation John Deere 4640.

Mike Unser was driving and plowing with his father-in-law Duane Dozier’s John Deere 8100. The black dirt turned with a bit of effort showing us plowing from years gone by. Mark Dozier was plowing a field over enjoying watching the soil turn under.

Farm fun is found with getting out machinery and trying out farming techniques from the past. Antique equipment, new generation, or muscle tractor, it doesn’t matter. The joy is in playing in the dirt. Turning the soil. Feeling the earth move under the power of old iron!

Machinery history in motion

Agricultural history is shared through visiting the places where innovative machinery was created, or through plow days and such. It is also true even if it is just using old iron at home in the garden like we did today.

Boys and girls having fun in the soil is a farming tradition! What do you do to enjoy agricultural history?